At Least 5,000 Children In Care Have Been Separated From Their Siblings

There can be no valid reason for separating siblings nor for denying immigrant children the right to speak in their mother-tongue – as long as the same children are given every opportunity to become proficient in learning English as a second language. I speak as one who has long enjoyed the ‘music’ of other languages as a teacher of English to students from many countries.

The impersonality of the ‘care-system’ has long been criticised. Above all things, children need love as part of their nurturing. When their birth-parents fail to deliver either or both of these, the state steps in and the child/children suffer. This is the time that support for the family is most urgently needed in order to prevent the breakdown that will necessitate a schism in the family unit.

A complete overhaul of the system is a necessity. It is currently not fit for purpose. This will be costly in terms of money, but such investment in the children, our hope for the future, will surely reward the initial expense.